They don’t get recognition, nicknames and when one person fails, the entire unit is blamed.

This is the life of an offensive lineman in the game of football.

“It’s a sense of pride for them,” Eastern offensive coordinator Mark Hutson said. “It’s a group of guys wanting to do their job on every down all game long.”

So, when the Panthers rush for 181 yards and 6 touchdowns, throw for 208 and a score, it all has to start somewhere and Eastern believes it begins with its big boys.

“I believe the game is won and lost up front no doubt about that,” Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said.

Vincent Webb ran for a season-high 148 yards, 3 touchdowns and the junior tailback finished with 4.9 yards per carry in the Panthers 48-24 win over Southeast Missouri.

“As a group, they really progressed in the two weeks of practice preparing for SEMO,” Hutson said.

Hutson also coaches the offensive line and felt like it was one of the best performances from the unit in the 2005 season.

“It really was a solid effort by those guys to make those holes for all three of our backs Saturday night,” Hutson said.

Senior center Pascal Matla is one of the members of the unit that Hutson considers a leader on the field. The all-Ohio Valley Conference and preseason All-American honorable mention selection from Holland is the only three-year starter on the line.

“He is the second quarterback on the field for us without a doubt,” Hutson said. “He has all the leadership qualities we look for.”

Hutson talked about the struggles this unit has faced over the last few years because of the players being young and thrown into play earlier than expected. This unit has dealt with young starters, post-game criticism from former quarterbacks and at the most, three different offensive coordinators.

“They really have had a lot of growing pains together but they are now one of the strengths of this team no doubt about it,” Hutson said.

With a new starting quarterback in 2005, Eastern’s offensive line has been critical to the progress of sophomore Mike Donato. This season, Donato has been sacked five times in five games.

“I think I have the best offensive line in the OVC in front of me,” Donato said.

Hutson gave insight on what his staff looks for when scouting an offensive lineman recruit, which may be the most difficult position to evaluate efficiently.

“Size comes into play first at this level,” Hutson said. “Next thing is the attitude and aggressive mindset that we can see on film.”

The Panthers know they are going to have to dominate the line of scrimmage Saturday to win its Homecoming game against Eastern Kentucky and have an inside shot at a OVC title.

“We need them to play the best game of the season to win,” Hutson said. “They have been thinking about EKU for a while.”